Croft Hill and Quarry
Grid ref: SK 510 968 (OS Landranger 140)
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Location/Access
Croft Hill and Quarry lie between the villages of Croft and Huncote. The hill stands 128m tall in what is an otherwise flat area of Leicestershire. Parking is limited, but there are suitable areas at SP 50846 96713, SP 50882 96655, SP 50966 96872 and SP 51365 97200. Alternatively, or if these places are all full, park in either of the nearby villages. The nearest post code is LE9 3GR.
Access onto the hill can be found at several points including SP 50879 96690 and the new embankment can be accessed at SP 51365 97196.
There is a circular walk around the site starting and ending at the hill.
Habitats
Broad-leaved woodland, hawthorn hedgerows, scrub land, acidic grassland and two ponds plus both the fledgling River Soar and the Thurlaston Brook.
Birds
Great Spotted Woodpeckers and Nuthatches breed in the small woodland on Croft Hill and are usually easy to locate. A mature hedgerow on the north side of the wooded area is one of the best places to search for birds during passage periods.
During both passage periods Ring Ouzels have been recorded and Redstarts are regular. In recent years the hill has become the number one site for finding migrant Pied Flycatchers in the Counties. Other highlights include sightings of Wood Warbler and Yellow-browed Warbler. Spotted Flycatchers can be numerous in autumn and are best looked for on the northern side of the hill on sunny days. Visible migration watches from the Trig Point at the top of the hill in autumn can be rewarding; especially when the wind comes from the south to south-west. Highlights include a Woodlark over in 2020.
Croft Quarry comes into view once the top of the hill is reached. Over the quarry Ravens can be seen, as well as several raptor species. A Peregrine may appear and give an impressive aerial display or something much rarer like a harrier could pass over.
Towards the east the large man-made embankment is viewable and if time permits this is also a good area to explore. There is a path that runs north down from the hill top and arrives at a stile. Take the path that follows the edge of the quarry onto the embankment. Highlights in this area have included Snow Bunting and Black Redstart. A footpath runs along the top of the embankment and then turns initially left at the base of some steep steps. This is where the River Soar is met and the path then runs between the embankment and the Thurlaston Brook – keep an eye out for Kingfishers. The trees along the embankment can attract flocks of Siskins and Lesser Redpolls.
The larger of the two ponds close to the Thurlaston Brook holds breeding Reed and Sedge Warblers as well as numerous Whitethroats and a Grasshopper Warbler might be heard. The hedgerow close to the pond and along the track back towards the Croft Hill road can be attractive to migrant warblers and chats. Both Redstart and Stonechat have been recorded in this area.
The path follows the embankment to join back up with the quarry and eventually goes back to the hill. If an early start was made it is always worth re-checking the hill, as there can be a lot more bird activity mid-morning.
Carl Baggott
Raven
Stonechat